TJHS scholars rank 6th in the Mu Alpha Theta National Math Contest

In July, Thomas Jefferson High School scholars represented Federal Way in Buffalo, New York at the 47th annual Mu Alpha Theta National Math Contest. This weeklong event brought together the nation’s top high school math teams to compete in a series of individual and group tests.

Out of the over 60 top teams from across the nation, Thomas Jefferson finished sixth in the nation for the Overall Sweepstakes Award. This year marks the 23rd consecutive year that Thomas Jefferson has placed among the top 10 schools in the nation. This legacy of excellence is in direct support of the district’s strategic plan Goal 4, Content Area Competence: Mastery of All Subjects.

 The following scholars are recognized:

• Angela You
• Austin Seunghyun Kim
• Zachary Botz
• Richard Chung
• Jared Tran
• Kory Byquist
• Skyler Yesiltepe 
• Hakeem Shibly
• Orgil Batzaya
• Andrew Monk
• Nickolas Kim
• Keila Kimura
• Shuah Yu
• Julia Sheats
• Nicole Park
• Michelle Kim
• Sam Spillers
• Brian Kim
• Andrew Tang
• Martin Jung Gyu Lim
• Abigail Hyde

Congratulations, scholars. We are so proud of you!

FWPS Transportation Team Exceeds Expectations for the second year in a row

The Washington State Patrol does an annual inspection of school buses and for the second year in a rwo, Federal Way Public Schools has once again completed the inspection with exceptional results. 

This is a great accomplishment for our Transportation Department team:

• Doug Shore
• Duane Jeffries
• Todd Fitch
• Jim Parker
• Joe Pagel
• Zail DeBie
• James Knight
• Charles McLEmore
• Barb Jeffries
• Tom Nutt
• Mike Benzien, Executive Director of Operations
• Michelle Turner, Director of Transportation

This is in direct support of our district strategic plan that highlights the importance of a committed and talented staff who utilize professional practices. These efforts ensure our scholars arrive to and from school safely. 

Transportation team, keep up the great work!

Federal Way High School Scholar Takes First Place in Word Processing at Future Business Leaders of America Competition

A big congratulations to Simon Struthers from Federal Way High School who won first place in the word processing category at the national Future Business Leaders of America competition.

Simon, please join us at the front to be recognized.

9,600 participants from across the United States and abroad attended this exciting conference to enhance their business skills, expand their networks, and participate in more than 70 business and business-related competitive events.

In addition to competitions, students immersed themselves in interactive workshops, visited an information-packed exhibit hall, and heard from motivational speakers on a broad range of business topics.

This effort is in direct support of the district Strategic Plan Goal 3, Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers. Congratulations!

FWPS Scholars Earn Seal of Biliteracy

The Seal of Biliteracy recognizes high school graduates who have demonstrated high levels of proficiency (reading, writing, and speaking) in one or more languages in addition to demonstrating high levels of proficiency in English. The Seal of Biliteracy is important for Federal Way Public School scholars because it recognizes the valuable skills our scholars will bring into their career and college experiences. These skills represent a tremendous potential resource within Washington state, where over 40 percent of Washington state jobs are tied to international trade.

Will the following graduates please come forward to be recognized for this achievement:

• Francisco Velazquez-Heras 
• Esmeralda Pena Sanchez
• Kemuel Santana-Suarez 
• Martin Sanchez Deleon
• Sylvia Park
• Harmonie Leoso
• Samuel Kiniu
• Salma Ibrahim
• Luisa Susano Hernandez
• Leonardo Orozco
• Angel Trejo Delgado 
• Juanita Ibanez 
• Zenaida Cruz 
• Ulises Ambrocio 
• Kyeora Lee
• Hope Stephen
• Abdirahim Ali
• Katherin Guzman
• Jose Figueroa
• Sandra Hernandez
• Helena Ochoa Moreno
• Orgil Batzaya
• Sean Yi
• Ellie Chang
• Royal Elder
• Jenna Appleton
• Jessica Hedrick
• Lindsay Kim
• Sukhmani Sandhu
• Jessica Truong
• Kayla Ziike
• Jasmine Buezo
• Manessah deChabert 
• Caterina Ferrieri
• Raymond Fung
• Elliya Kim
• Danielle Lam
• Chae Hee Lee
• Jae Lee
• Rachel Lee
• Jasson Mendez
• Jackson Jenkins
• Candice Oravitz
• Jazmin Nunez
• Nichole Vargas
• Daisy Camacho
• Vilen Baliyan 
• Alejandra Santana
• Nardia Duarte Veleta
• Jennifer Paz Meza
• Betsy Aguilar
• Karla Hurtado

The Seal of Biliteracy directly aligns with Goal 4: Content Area Competence of our Strategic Plan.  A key measure of progress in this goal is the number of students that are biliterate. Congratulations, graduates!

Six Federal Way Public Schools were recognized by the King County Green Schools Program

We are proud of our schools working hard to encourage our scholars to become thriving, confident, responsible individuals, which is Goal 2 of our strategic plan.

Six Federal Way Public Schools were recognized by the King County Green Schools Program for their participation in the program during the 2016–17 school year. These schools worked to reduce waste, increase recycling, and conserve natural resources, engaging both students and staff in learning about and practicing resource conservation

We want to recognize representatives from these schools that were part of this effort:

• Camelot Elementary School
  • Natalee Daniels
  • Darcy Borg
• Green Gables Elementary School
  • Dani Fischer
  • Karen Konrad
• Lakota Middle School
  • Rasa Conklin
• Olympic View Elementary School
  • Tony Croyle
  • Pam Pierovich 
• Lake Grove Elementary School
  • Patty Samora
  • Rachel Smith-Mosel
• Todd Beamer High School
  • Eric Marshall

Green Gables Elementary School also received national recognition, earning a Green Ribbon School award from the U.S. Department of Education for its efforts in conservation and promoting a healthy environment for students and staff.

Scholar Representatives at Board Meetings

In Federal Way Public Schools, incorporating student voice is central to informing the work of serving each of our 23,000 student-scholars. Students from the Student Advisory to the Superintendent team presented a recommendation and outlined the application and selection process for scholar representatives at board meetings. An interview team including board members and students from the Scholar Advisory to the Superintendent team selected the two finalists.

The purpose of scholar representatives’ participation at board meetings on the board will be to provide valuable input on school district operations — an area the superintendent as CEO is held responsible for.

This effort is in support of district Strategic Plan Goal 2: thriving, confident, responsible individuals.

Congratulations to the scholars selected to serve as Scholar Representation on the Board for fall 2017:

• Cedric Dennard II 
• Mikayla Reedy

Thank you to the four scholars who participated in the interview team:

• Angela Hong
• Sydney Nash
• Harley Newman
• Phillip Philbrick

 Thank you for your leadership!

Federal Way School Board "Student Voice" Scholarship Award Recipients 

The Federal Way Public Schools Board of Directors Student Voice Scholarship Award celebrates the accomplishments of two class of 2017 scholars who have used their “voices” to make a difference in their school and community. This supports thriving, confident, responsible individuals, Goal 2 of the district strategic plan. This is the inaugural year for the scholarship award. Each scholar will receive $500.

The following two scholars have been selected as 2017 winners:

• Kaleigha Lang
• Mehria Ibrahimi 

Students from the Student Advisory to the Superintendent team came up with the selection process and criterion and presented their recommendation to the board. The board reviewed and selected scholarship recipients.

Congratulations, we can’t wait to see where your dreams take you!

School Staff Administer Life-saving Aid to Security Officer

We would like to recognize the quick action of our school district employees who helped save the life of one of our district security officers.

On June 6, Federal Way School District Security Officer Craig Plummer was on-site at Valhalla Elementary when he felt unwell and collapsed.

School staff took immediate action. They contacted 911. Lead Security Officer Parris Mamon and Principal Kristen Schroeder stepped right in to administer an automated external defibrillator also known as an AED and saved Craig’s life. Craig, Parris, and Kristen please come forward to be recognized.

Craig told us, “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be alive.” 

We would also like to thank the emergency responders from South King Fire and Rescue.

Parris, Kristen and South King Fire and Rescue: This incident represents how good preparation, training and quick action can literally save a life. As heroes of the day, you went above and beyond the call to keep our friend and team member safe. We are so proud and grateful for your leadership!

Adelaide Elementary Kindergarten Class Achieves Perfect Attendance

In support of Strategic Plan Goal 2, Whole Child: Thriving, Confident, Responsible Individuals, Adelaide Elementary set out to increase attendance.

Mrs. Tomi Pepper’s kindergarten class was the first to reach eight weeks of perfect attendance, and it is now at 11 weeks!

Congratulations, scholars and keep up the great work!

Thomas Jefferson High School girls' tennis team named WIAA Academic State Champions

Congratulations to the Thomas Jefferson High School girls' tennis team who was named the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association academic state champions with a team GPA average of 3.939!

The following team members were recognized:

• Kelly Dillard
• Erica Dillard
• Maya Frame
• Jamie Grall
• Michelle Kim
• Amber LeBlanc
• Makaylie Moore
• Elaine Nguyen
• Violetta Pakhnuk
• Alexandra Peterson
• Mia Rosa
• Gjianni White
• Grace Soo Hun Lim

The Scholastic Awards program recognizes the team with the highest grade point average among all Washington high schools in their enrollment classification. 

This effort is in direct support of Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, active learners: engaged, empowered, critical thinkers and Goal 4, content area competentce: mastery of all subjects. 

Congratulations!

Students Excel at the Future Business Leaders of America State Competition

Federal Way High School junior and Future Business Leaders of America Chapter President Simon Struthers earned first place in the word processing category. Freshman and Future Business Leaders of America Vice President Gabriel Smith earned third in the cyber security category.

This was the capstone experience for students with career interests in business, drawing nearly 2,400 students, advisers, and industry professionals together for 60 hours of leadership, education and competition.

This effort is in direct support of the district Strategic Plan Goal 3, Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers. Congratulations to you both!

Elementary Track and Field Program

Did you know the elementary track and field program consists of approximately 2,000 K–5 scholars from 24 schools led by 50 coaches? This well-loved program recently held its championship meet. These scholar athletes are engaged, empowered, active learners which is part of the district Strategic Plan Goal 3. 

The following scholars were the top performing girls and boys out of all 333 participants during the 2016-17 school year: 

• Gyuhyeon Lee  earned the most points out of all boy participants.
• Jacob Hurskin earned the second highest points
• Domani Arizpe and Vitaliy Tishchenko tied for earning the third highest points.
• Jayda Lewis earned the most points out of all the girl participants.
• Emily De LaCruz earned the second highest points
• Cassandra Atkins and Soukhanya Waters tied for earning the third highest points.

Coaches and administrators are welcome to come forward now for the photo.

We are so proud of our scholar-athletes!

Special Olympics Scholar-Athletes Excel at Regional Track and Field Meet and Soccer Tournament

Our scholar-athletes who recently participated in the Special Olympics Regional Track and Field Meet and Soccer Tournament really brought home the gold, silver and bronze! They placed so well that many went on to compete and win at the Special Olympics State Tournament too!

These scholar-athletes are engaged, empowered, active learners, that is part of the district Strategic Plan Goal 3.

We are so proud of you for these achievements!

Illahee Math Team Members in the Top 50 of All Math Olympiads Internationally

The Illahee Math Team’s dedication is astounding. They get up early every Saturday morning to come solve rigorous math problems for two hours.

Illahee’s math team competed in the Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle School competitions. Over 120,000 students participated on over 5,000 member teams across all 50 states, 13 American territories, and 23 foreign countries.

Team members scored in the top 50 of all the Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle School participants internationally:

• Jonah Mizrahi
• Michael Sinn
• Frank Ton
• Luis Pablo Carrera-Lara
• Andy Kim
• Ryan Kim
• Daniel Chung
• Paola Duarte Garcia
• Scott MacLaren
• Evelyn Stovin
• Grace Chong
• Carter Mitchell
• Jameson Karmell
• William Hong

This effort is in direct support of district Strategic Plan Goal 4, Content Area Competence: Mastery of All Subjects.

In addition, we would like to recognize Austin Kim, a current student at Thomas Jefferson High School. Austin volunteers his time every week to help students. Austin is also on TJ's Math Team, yet still finds time and energy to come to every practice.

11th Annual Math Bonanza at Thomas Jefferson High School

We would like to recognize our scholars who placed at the 11th Annual Math Bonanza at Thomas Jefferson High School:

• Nathan Andualem, third place, Individual, fourth grade
• Huy Mai, third place, Individual and third place, Mental Math, seventh grade
• Jacob Norris, first place, Individual, eighth grade
• Amy Ojeaburu , third place, Individual, eighth grade
• Connor McQuistin, third place, Mental Math, sixth grade
• SeChae Park , first place, Mental Math, eighth grade
• Jungmin Ahn, second place, Mental Math, eighth grade
• Zoie Aquino, third place, Mental Math, eighth grade

We’d also like to recognize the Federal Way 8th Grade Teams who swept first, second and third place in the team division! Some of those team members are already standing here, but if there are other members here please come forward.

This effort is in direct support of the district Strategic Plan Goal 4, Content Area Competence: Mastery of All Subjects.

Congratulations, math scholars on your achievements in the competition! We are proud of you.

Todd Beamer High School Boys Soccer Team Wins State Championship

We are so proud of the Todd Beamer High School boys’ soccer team for winning the state championship! The win was the first state title for Beamer in any sport since the school opened its doors in 2003.

• Brandon Locke
• Richard Bezus
• Jordan Carmel
• Eric Peña
• Tyrese Collins
• Shawn Narayan
• Jacob Allen
• Jonathon Fischer
• Zak Gregg
• Austin Stafford
• Faraz Hamidani
• Jonah Fuller
• Adam Shown
• Diego Sanchez
• Dylan Alley
• Gregorio Romero
• Mark Filimonov 
• Malik Henry
• Luke Gregg

This effort is in direct support of Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, active learners: engaged, empowered, critical thinkers and Goal 4, content area competence: mastery of all subjects. Congratulations!

 Federal Way Lions Club Supports FWPS Scholars

The Federal Way Lions Club presented eleven scholarships to seniors totaling $10,000 to help fund college expenses including books, class fees. Since its inception 60 years ago, the Lions has awarded over $96,900 in scholarships to Federal Way students.

In addition, 22 middle school eighth graders were honored with “Student Scholar of the Year” awards. These scholars represented outstanding leadership, academics and service to their school and our community. 

Thank you, Lions President Jim Stiles and the members from the Lions Club.

We appreciate the Lion’s commitment to our scholars! Efforts like these support our Strategic Plan Goal 5: Persistence to Graduation.

FWPS Scholar-Athletes Place in State Track and Field Competition 

Congratulations, to the two scholar-athletes who placed in the state track and field competition:

• Kemuel Santana, from Decatur High School

                1^st Place: 200 Meter Dash 4A

                3^rd Place: 400 Meter Dash 4A    

• Kailynn Hyde, from Federal Way High School

               1^st Place: Girls Discus Throw Ambulatory

               2^nd Place: Girls Shot Put Ambulatory

These scholar-athletes are engaged, empowered, active learners that is part of the district Strategic Plan Goal 3. We are so proud of you!

Federal Way Open Doors Graduation

Tonight I would like to recognize two graduates from Federal Way Open Doors. Persistence to Graduation is Goal 5 of our Strategic Plan, and these graduates demonstrated this in spades. 

Wilson Harper is a student that had to overcome multiple barriers in order to obtain his GED. In September Federal Way Open Doors started offering the GED. The GED program was something that worked well for Wilson. He passed his Reasoning through Language Arts test first, followed by Social Studies, and Science. All that was left for Wilson was Math. This is the hardest of the GED test. Wilson put himself on a timeline, studied diligently for the test, and passed it after only two weeks. Wilson has encouraged other students along the way. The staff at Open Doors knows that Wilson will be successful at his next step. Congratulations!

Dylan Monroy started his educational career as a scholar at Lake Dolloff, Wildwood and then onto Sacajawea. He wanted to get through school, but was discouraged and many times just wanted to give up and go to work. Dylan started at Decatur High School and then realized that Gateway to College would be a great option for him. When Gateway to College did not fit his changing work needs Dylan transferred back into Open Doors. Not very far into Dylan being at Open Doors, he felt he had to quit school to work and support himself. While he was earning money, he realized that if he came back to Open Doors to earn his diploma he would have even more earning power in today’s economy. Dylan is very proud today that he had completed one of his first of many goals to be able to provide more for his growing family. Congratulations, Dylan!

Federal Way High School's Pacific Islander Club Took Home Awards at the 3rd Annual Samoan Arts & Academics Competition at Highline College

We are so proud of the Federal Way High School Pacific Islander Club who took home multiple awards at the third annual Samoan Arts & Academics Competition at Highline College!

The club's name is Lumana'i O Le Pasefika, which means "Future of the Pacific."

Individual Student Awards:

• Student with the Highest GPA overall: Shovana Semisi, 3.85
• Scholars with the top GPA in Lumana'i O Le Pasefika, the Federal Way club are:
• Hevenly Tuputala, 3.87
• Alphonzo Tuputala, 3.64
• $1,000 Scholarship: Leapaagatele Atanoa
• $700 Scholarship: Raymond Westerlund
• $500 scholarship: Kaleigha Lang

In addition to these individual awards, the club won the overall competition and the following group awards:

• Award of Academic Excellence which recognizes the club with the highest GPA. The club's GPA is 3.1
• First place Royal Court
• Third place Lauga (Speech), performed by MJ Aperila
• First place Ulufale (Group Singing)
• First place Maulu'ulu (Group Dance)
• First place Sasa (Large Group Dance)
• First place Siva Tama (Group Dance
• First place Siva Teine (Girls Dance)
• Second place Taupou (Solo Dance Performance) performed by Kaleigha Lang

Lumana'i O Le Pasefika describes themselves not as a club, but rather a family. They welcome any student who wants to participate. 

We are so proud of the great leadership and effort this group exudes. This effort is in direct support of the district Strategic Plan Goal 3, Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers.

Decatur High School Chamber and Concert Choirs and Orchestra impress at the Anaheim Heritage Festival of Music

The Decatur High School Chamber and Concert Choirs and Orchestra made an impressive showing at the Anaheim Heritage Festival Of Music held at the Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland. Over forty schools from nine different states and Canadian provinces attended this highly competitive festival.

They earned the following accomplishments:

• The Concert Choir and Orchestra finished "First Place Gold" in their respective divisions.
• The Chamber Singers finished "Second Place Gold."
• All three groups were awarded the prestigious "Adjudicators Award" for scoring an average of ninety-five or above.
• The Orchestra was voted overall outstanding ensemble in all string divisions by the judges.
• The school’s music department took the overall "Festival Sweepstakes Award."

Beyond the awards, Decatur’s Director of Music, Steve Gorringe, said these scholars represented the district with great pride when they conducted themselves with the utmost dignity, professionalism and grace in their triumphs.

These efforts are in direct support of Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, active learners: engaged, empowered, critical thinkers and Goal 4, content area competence: mastery of all subjects. Way to go Gator musicians!

Decatur High School's Marcos Santos selected as the 4A WIAA Boys Athlete of the Week

All varsity level scholars in good academic standing at their schools are eligible to receive the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Athlete of the Week Award. 

Congratulations to Decatur High School’s Marcos Santos for being selected as the 4A Washington Interscholastic Activities Association boys athlete of the week! 

Marcos scored six goals in two games with back-to-back hat tricks versus Federal Way and Thomas Jefferson high schools. After the award was announced, Marcos scored another three goals vs. Enumclaw for his third consecutive hat trick performance. 

Marcos plans on playing soccer in college, but hasn’t committed anywhere yet. Ultimately, he would love to play professional soccer.

This effort is in direct support of Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers and Goal 4, Content Area Competence: Mastery of All Subjects.  

Way to go after your dreams, Marcos! We cannot wait to see where you go next! 

Illahee Middle School's Saturday Scholars hold fishing event, "Dads and Scholars, Rods and Reels"

In April, Illahee Middle School's Saturday Scholars program partnered with community members to implement a fishing event called "Dads and Scholars, Rods and Reels” at Steel Lake Park in Federal Way.

The Saturday Scholars program includes students of color who need support with math and reading. The scholars volunteer their time to come to school on select Saturdays to learn how to be better students, plan for the future, and work towards content area competency in the core subjects of math and reading — Goal 4 of the district Strategic Plan. 

The following scholars participated:

• Elijah Jennings
• Isaiah Jennings
• Daeshani Rucker
• Dameko Rucker
• Jailen Curren-Dennis
• Arlandus Jones
• Malik Agbo
• Ahmad Zaiyyad
• Ehren White
• Malachi Hunter
• Diamond Johnson
• Josaiah Tualaulelei

On the Saturday trip, the boys were given life lessons on how hard work and overcoming failure will keep them on the path to reaching their dreams.

Our student and dads reported the fishing experience being the best of their lives! Although there were not many fish caught, being outdoors with their kids made the experience well worth the time.

We are so proud of these scholars and these supporters. We believe in you and your bright futures!

Federal Way Public Schools scholars named as finalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program

Congratulations to the two students who have been named as finalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program: 

• Cindy Imm of Todd Beamer High School
• Justin Kwon of Federal Way High School

To be considered a finalist, the student must have one of the highest PSAT scores in his or her respective state. In addition, the student must submit an application detailing why he or she should be chosen and identify leadership, employment, honors and awards. 

Cindy met and surpassed these requirements with very high PSAT scores, taking the maximum amount of AP courses (seven AP classes out of an eight period day), volunteering, and being president of the Todd Beamer High School National Honors Society. 

Justin also received very high PSAT scores. Justin is involved in clubs such as Robotics Club, Speech and Debate as well as Washington Aerospace Scholars. Additionally, he has won several awards in Speech and Debate. 

Out of the 1.6 million juniors that apply, 15,000 finalists are chosen. About half of the finalists will win National Merit Scholarships, earn the National Merit Scholar title, and share in the $33 million worth of scholarships. 

This effort is in direct support of two goals of our Strategic Plan. Goal Four, content area competence and Goal Five, persistence to graduation. 

Cindy and Justin, we are so proud of you and wish you the best of luck in this endeavor! 

Five FWPS Elementary Schools Receive State’s Highest Honor

Five elementary schools received the state’s highest honor: the 2016 Washington Achievement Award! We are proud of our team for supporting Goal 2: The Whole Child. Thriving, Confident, Responsible Individuals.
Brigadoon Elementary, Star Lake Elementary and Wildwood Elementary have received the award for Closing the Achievement Gap for Students with Disabilities.
Brigadoon Elementary:

• Debbie Audet
• Joy McLaughlin
• Carla Beausoleil 
• Sunna Yi

Wildwood Elementary:

• Michael Swartz
• Courtney Eylander 
• Kimmie Choi
• Briana Johnson

Star Lake Elementary:

• Kris Rennie
• Travis Geving
• Dr. Natasha Scott

Enterprise Elementary received the award for Closing the Achievement Gap for Black Students.

• Jeff Soltez
• Jessica Rosendahl 
• Tonja Higley 
• Kevin Hooper 

Rainier View Elementary received the award for Special Recognition English Language Acquisition.

• Kent Cross
• Sam Park
• LaDonna Arthur
• Tess Johnson

These schools’ successes in Closing the Achievement Gap and English Language Acquisition support one of our Strategic Plan core beliefs that EVERY scholar can learn at the highest level and that race, socioeconomics, language, cultural background, and other exceptionalities should not be predictors of student achievement. Thank you for your collective efforts to improve teaching and learning for our scholars.

TAF Academy Scholars Place at Science and Engineering Fair

TAF Academy scholars have placed at the 60th annual Washington State Science and Engineering Fair.

First place in Engineering Mechanic, Project Title: Amateur Radio Antennae:

• Alisha Carza
• Nalani Hall 
• Ketterra Johnson

Second Place in Biomedical Health Sciences, Project Title: Electromagnetic Hand:

• Max Birkeland
• Andy Duong
• Isabel Wolfe

Third place Biomedical Health Sciences, Project Title: Foundation that Prevents Acne:

• Ana Aparicio
• Lesly Ramos
• Magdaly Sanchez

These teams were among more than 700 presenters from first through twelfth grades.

This effort is in direct support of the district Strategic Plan Goal 3, Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers.

Congratulations, teams!

Elementary Scholars Participate in Battle of the Books Competition

We are proud of our elementary scholars for participating in the district’s annual Battle of the Books competition! This program requires the student participants to read as many books as possible from a selected list of titles. Students work collaboratively in teams and study the books together. Then winning teams at the school level compete in a district battle.

Congratulations to Panther Lake's team “Bookworms” who took first place in the district competition!

• Michael Dickerman
• Franz Obungen
• Khoa Phan
• William Diederick

Congratulations to Lake Grove’s team “Da Dazzling Breezin Donuts” and Brigadoon’s team “Chaos Ridden Unicorns” who tied for second place!

• Ashley Soto
• Arika Newlun
• Nittaya Souvanna 
• Dianna Tsyganyuk 
• Camryn Skelton
• Sophia Bolokhovska
• Julian Davis

We are proud of these scholars and this effort, which is in support of Goal 2, Whole Child: Thriving, Confident, and Responsible Individuals.

Two FWPS Scholars Recognized by Advancing Leadership Program

Advancing Leadership is a youth leadership program designed for high school sophomores and juniors where students learn about leadership style, how to work with and inspire others, and discover new things about Federal Way. It can be a life changing experience!

Tonight we are proud to announce Jennifer Bok has been named “Most Relational” by her peers. The Be Relational award goes to the person in the class who has demonstrated an ability to cooperate, collaborate, and bring the group together in challenging times. The recipient of this award is friendly, has a great sense of humor, and is accepting and kind. 

Peter Smith has been named “Most Intentional” by his Advancing Leadership Youth peers! The Be Intentional award is given to the person in the class who has shown up, taken responsibility for their own actions and delivered results. This person is instrumental in keeping the class project on schedule, is task oriented, and is admired for his attention to details and deadlines and does it all with tact and diplomacy.

Being part of Advancing Leadership Youth helps our scholars grow into thriving, confident, responsible individuals — Goal 2 of our district Strategic Plan.

Congratulations, Jennifer and Peter, for your recognition as student leaders among your peers!

Todd Beamer Scholar Receives Scholarship

The Washington Association of Vocational Administrators Scholarship is awarded to five graduating Washington State high school seniors who have distinguished themselves in the field of Career and Technical Education during high school.

Out of 80 applicants, Samantha Reese Bird from Todd Beamer High School was selected for the Phyllis Lawson Scholarship Award for $1,000.

Samantha has long shown Career and Technical Education leadership including:

• Being a “Where Everyone Belongs” leader at Illahee Middle School.
• Being named runner up in aptitude and interest in computing by the National Center for Women in Technology.
• Working at Digipen Video Game Programming.
• And so much more.

Samantha would like to complete a Bachelor’s degree in computer science with the goal of pursuing a career in the technology field. This is in support of Goal 5: Persistence to Graduation.

Congratulations, Samantha! We can’t wait to see where you go next!

Eagles are Act Six Scholars

Two of our Federal Way High School seniors have been named as Act Six Scholars!

The Board would like to recognize Salma Ibrahim and Marco Estrada for their accomplishment. 

These two scholars were selected through a rigorous three-month competition among more than 1,000 applicants, 99 diverse students were selected from across the country as leaders with a commitment to serving their community and have been awarded a full-tuition, full-need scholarship. Salma will be taking her leadership skills to Pacific Lutheran University, joining Act Six’s cadre ten, and Marco will be headed to Northwest University as a member of cadre nine.

This is in recognition of Goal 5 of our Strategic Plan, Persistence to graduation.

Congratulations, Salma and Marco!

FWPS Scholars place in AVID Writing Contest

We are proud of our scholars who placed in the AVID Writing Contest! More than 1,700 scholars competed, writing argumentative essays and citing materials to support their position. These finalists wrote the top essays at each middle school and high school in the district, indicating mastery of writing and strong critical thinking skills as reflected in Goals 3 and 4 of our district Strategic Plan.

The Board would like to recognize the following scholars with placements that occurred in the middle school category: 

• Michael Sinn, first place, Illahee
• Alicia Roeun, runner up, Sacajawea
• Itzel Cervantes, honorable mention, Sequoyah
• Andy Kim, honorable mention, Illahee
• Eleanor Aasen, honorable mention, Illahee

The Board would also like to recognize the following scholars with placements that occurred in the high school category: 

• Lucas David, first place, Federal Way
• Ben Zuarez, runner up, Todd Beamer
• Ashley Palafox, honorable mention, Todd Beamer
• Karolina Nargan, honorable mention, Decatur
• Joshua Collier, honorable mention, Decatur
• Justin Tessier, honorable mention, Decatur

Congratulations, scholars! We are proud of you for being engaged, active, critical thinkers.

Scholar places at 60^th Annual WA State Science and Engineering Fair

Kieran McDowell a fifth grade Brigadoon Elementary student, has placed and received a special award at the 60th annual Washington State Science and Engineering Fair.

The Board would like to recognize Kieran for his accomplishments!

Kieran received a first prize trophy, and a second prize ribbon for his project which focused on: “What is the best second hole size in a coffee lid for liquid to pour smoothly?” He also received a special award, the “Origami Award for Finding Math and Science in Unexpected Places.”

Kieran was among more than 700 presenters from first through twelfth grades who participated in the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair.

This effort is in direct support of the district Strategic Plan Goal 3: Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers.

Congratulations, Kieran!

FWPS Scholar is Most Transformational

Advancing Leadership is a youth leadership program designed for high school sophomores and juniors where students learn about leadership style, how to work with and inspire others, and discover lots of things they did not know about Federal Way. It can be a life changing experience!

Tonight we are proud to announce Truman’s Iziah Reedy for being named the “Most Transformational” by his Advancing Leadership Youth peers! Being part of Advancing Leadership Youth helps our scholars grow into thriving, confident, responsible individuals — Goal 2 of our district Strategic Plan.

Advancing Leadership Youth aims to transform passionate people into impactful leaders, making this award one of the most important an Advancing Leadership Youth scholar can receive.

Congratulations, Iziah, for your recognition as a student leader among your peers!

Open Doors Scholars Graduate

The Board would like to recognize two graduates from Federal Way Open Doors. Persistence to Graduation is Goal Five of our Strategic Plan, and these graduates demonstrated this in spades.

Iris Pulido-Ramos has been a student with Federal Way Public Schools since 2010. She came to Federal Way Acceleration Academy, now Federal Way Open Doors, in September 2015. We have watched Iris grow from a somewhat shy, quiet student to a vibrant young adult, with a great group of friends at Open Doors. As Iris worked through her state tests and credits, it became apparent that she had the tenacity to not only complete her high school diploma, but also challenge herself for what happens after high school. She has been involved in her family cleaning business, often working 40 hours a week to ensure the business remained on track, all while keeping her commitment to Federal Way Open Doors. Her next steps include continuing to work for the family business, as she obtains her state and national language interpreter certification, with the goal of speaking English, Spanish, Arabic and Farsi. We are proud to call Iris our graduate and we look forward to hearing about the amazing things she is doing in her life!

Angela Garcia-Salazar has been a scholar with Federal Way Public Schools since she started her educational career at Lake Grove in kindergarten. She went on to attend Valhalla Elementary, Kilo Middle School, Thomas Jefferson High School, Federal Way Senior High, Washington Youth Academy, and now graduating from Federal Way Open Doors. Angela has worked hard to complete her education and has never given up. She was one of the first female graduates from Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton. Since the time she was little, Angela has had a strong mind and spirit. Angela will continue to strive to be a life-long learner and a positive member to the Federal Way community.

Congratulations scholars, we are proud of you!

FWHS is an AVID School of Distinction

We are proud to announce that Federal Way High School has been recognized as an AVID School of Distinction for the 2016–17 school year! This is in addition to being an AVID National Demonstration School.

AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a national college-prep program designed to increase the number of students who enter 4-year colleges and universities.

The Board would like to recognize staff who represent many who have worked so hard on this effort.

• Matt Oberst
• Assistant Principal Randy Long
• Karin Weberg
• Christine Ha
• Sue Clark
• Susan Hundrup
• Josh Agpalza
• Brad Smith
• Juan Rodriguez
• Diony Victorin
• David Cole
• Tim McManemy

National Demonstration Schools are exemplary models of the AVID College Readiness System that undergo a rigorous validation process and are required to be re-validated every three years to ensure high levels of implementation, with quality and fidelity to AVID strategies school wide.

Congratulations, Federal Way High School, for your work to help scholars persist to graduation in direct support of Goal 5 of the district Strategic Plan. We are proud of you! 

 TJHS Math Team takes first place  

On March 18, Thomas Jefferson High School’s math team participated in the 24th annual Mu Alpha Theta Washington State Math Competition and took first place for the overall Sweepstakes Award! Four scholars also placed as individual state champions.

The Board would like to recognize the following scholars:

• Abigail Hyde placed first in Theta Equations & Inequalities and Theta Mental Math
• Austin Kim placed first place in Theta Logs/Exponents
• Zach Botz placed first in Alpha Analytical Geometry
• Hakeem Shibly placed first in Chalk Talk
• Sarah Guest
• Jared Hoover
• Keila Kimura
• Aidan Narayanan
• Jared Tran
• Brandon Truong
• Angela You
• Shua Yu
• Jaskaran Deol
• Andrew Tang
• Amy Holden
• Linz Kim
• Nicholas Kim
• Martin Jung Gyu Lim
• Andrew Monk
• Julia Sheats
• Skyler Yesiltepe
• Orgil Batzaya
• Sean Yi
• Elliya Kim
• Michelle Kim
• Kory Byquist
• Kyoung Ho Brian Kim
• Jae Lee

This effort is in direct support of the district’s Strategic Plan Goal 4, Content Area Competence: Mastery of All Subjects.

Congratulations, math scholars on your achievements in the competition! We are proud of you.

FWHS ROTC Drill Teams place at Regional Championship Competition

Federal Way High School’s ROTC drill teams competed in the Puget Sound Division Drill meet on March 4 and took home three first place awards and two division championships! On March 18, two FWHS cadets placed in the Northwest Drill and Rifle Conference Regional Championship!

 The Board would like to recognize the following students: 

• Harry Steinmetz placed third in the Armed Drill Down category at the Regional Championship
• Soleil Miyamoto placed fourth in the Unarmed Drill Down category at the Regional Championship
• Unarmed Drill Team Captain Michelle DeMoss
• Cody Tyndall
• Antonio Arroyo
• Grace Tangonan
• Eian Raspa
• Patricia Kimball
• Patricia Arango-Lopez
• Michael Cacho
• Matthew Camat
• Kevin Hafey
• Trent Lessard
• Laurieanna Lafferty
• Callistus Tiweyang
• Aleksander Tompkins
• Raymond Westerlund

This effort is in direct support of Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, active learners: engaged, empowered, critical thinkers and Goal 4, content area competence: mastery of all subjects.

Congratulations team for these great accomplishments!

TBHS ROTC Drill Teams place at Regional Championship Competition

Todd Beamer High School’s ROTC drill teams competed in the Puget Sound Division Drill meet March 4 and took home three third place awards and one second place award! On March 18, at the Northwest Drill and Rifle Conference Regional Championship the team placed fourth in Color Guard and fourth in Dual Unarmed Exhibition.

The Board would like to recognize the following scholars: 

• Ayden Adams
• Jaiden Andreasen
• DeAndrea Askew
• Darian Bachner
• Carl Burleigh
• Hieu Dang
• Jared Dodson
• Dorian Donahue
• Trent Fernandez
• Joshua Hoang
• Bailey Huston
• Tae Hyun Gabriel Kim
• Sujin Kim
• Juliana Leinberger
• Raven Leonard
• William Leoso
• Harmonie Leoso Carolyn Leoso
• Taylor Lewis
• Jonathan Lezcano
• Aniston Messer
• Grace Montgomery
• Grace Ralstin
• Madeline Ralstin
• Krystal Robbins
• Miranda Rush
• Angelo Louie Serania
• Max Torres
• Jackson Walton
• Whitney Wilbourn

This effort is in direct support of Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, active learners: engaged, empowered, critical thinkers and Goal 4, content area competence: mastery of all subjects.

Congratulations!

Kilo Teacher receives National Board Certification  

The Board would like to recognize Dana Lead, a Federal Way teacher who earned National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification in 2016. National board certification is an advanced certification program designed to recognize outstanding teachers who meet high and rigorous standards. 

Dana is a teacher at Kilo Middle School, certified in music/early adolescence through young adulthood.

National Board Certified Teachers have successfully demonstrated exemplary teaching knowledge, skills and practices. The National Board candidacy process is demanding, and has numerous benefits to students, as teachers become even more self-reflective about their practice and increase subject area knowledge.

Congratulations Dana to your dedication and commitment to our scholars’ bright futures!

TAF Academy Scholars receive scholarship

The board is proud to announce four TAF Academy students recently competed in a three-day Student Innovation Challenge sponsored by the architecture and engineering firm, the DLR Group.

Our scholars won the award for Innovation for the Public Service Announcement they created on the topic of ending homelessness.

The Board would like to thank Paul Okerlund from the DLR Group for presenting a certificate and a learning scholarship worth $200 to our students.

The Board would like to recognize the following students who received this scholarship:

• Angelica Colin
• Pablo Rodriguez
• Gurleen Bassi
• Christopher Heredia

This is in direct support of our Strategic Plan Goal 3: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers. Congratulations, scholars!

FWPS Scholars compete in national competition 

We are proud of our scholars and staff who competed and won awards at the Western Washington National Speech and Debate Association competition! The Western Washington District is comprised of about 50 schools in Washington and Alaska and includes four FWPS' schools: Thomas Jefferson High School, Federal Way High School, Todd Beamer High School and TAF Academy.

Thanks to Andrew Buchan, Lois Gorne, and other coaches who spend hundreds of hours investing in these scholars and their speech and debate skills that will benefit them long after high school!

The board would like to recognize the following individuals for their achievements including those staff members who received awards for their contributions to the Western Washington District this year:

• Tammy Campbell, Communicator of the Year
• Isaiah Parker, Alumni of the Year
• Zack Gostisha, Federal Way High School, Student of the Year, 1^st Zackery also placed 1^st in International Extemporaneous AND 1^st Place Congressional Debate. Students can only compete in one event at nationals, and Zack has chosen Congressional Debate.
• Sarah Jacob, TAF Academy, 1st Place Oral Interpretation, Sarah will advance to the national competition
• Cindy Lee and Erica Dillard, Thomas Jefferson High School, 1^st Place Duo Interpretation, Cindy and Erica will advance to the national competition
• Andrew Tang, Thomas Jefferson High School, 3^rd Place Informative
• Justin Kwon, Federal Way High School, 2^nd Place International Extemp, Justin will advance to the national competition
• Hakeem Shibly, Thomas Jefferson High School, 3^rd Place United States Extemp AND Oratory
• Skyler Yesiltepe, Thomas Jefferson High School, 3^rd Place, Foreign Extemp
• In addition, Andrew Tang, Hakeem Shibly, Hannan Ajmal, Skyler Yesiltepe, and Maria Thompson all from Thomas Jefferson High School, will be representing Western Washington in World Team Debate at Nationals. Hannan Ajmal and Maria Thompson, please come join your team up at the front to be recognized!

This effort is in direct support of Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, active learners: engaged, empowered, critical thinkers and Goal 4, content area competence: mastery of all subjects.

Congratulations to everyone recognized tonight — we are proud of you!

Raiders Debate Team brings home first state championship

On March 11, Thomas Jefferson High School came home with its first team state championship in speech since 2007! TJ had more people in the finals (10) than any other school.

The Board would like to recognize the following coaches and scholars 

• Coach Andrew Buchan
• Coach Isaiah Parker
• Coach Jessica Garman
• Coach Mary-Kay Soderlind
• Hakeem Shibly who earned the first individual state championship for TJ since 2013. Hakeem placed first in impromptu
• Luke Sorenson placed second in dramatic interpretation
• Avanti Bryant placed second in oratory
• Zach Wall finished third in humorous interpretation

In addition to our award winners, a number of other Raiders represented TJ at state. The Board would like to recognize the following scholars.

• Grace Scuderi
• Amanda Fowler
• Skyler Yesiltepe
• Jennifer Frias
• Andrew Tang
• Amara Swartz
• Praises Orji
• Faith Elder
• Haley Ruppel
• Ji In
• Maria Thompson
• Erica Dillard
• Cindy Lee
• Mark Kamyshin
• Carlos Santana
• Julia Sheats
• Jared Tran
• Hannan Ajmal

This is in direct support of Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, active learners: engaged, empowered, critical thinkers and Goal 4, content area competence: mastery of all subjects. Congratulations, everyone!

Lake Grove teacher receives Leadership Award

SHAPE America is the nation’s largest membership organization of health and physical education professionals. It defines excellence in physical education and is committed to empowering all children to lead healthy and active lives. Each year, SHAPE America recognizes one individual who exemplifies leadership with the Physical Activity Leader Learning System, embodies the Let’s Move! Active Schools spirit, and champions a comprehensive school physical activity program within his or her community.

The board would like to recognize Lake Grove Elementary health and physical education specialist, Dana Henry, as the recipient of the 2017 Let’s Move! Active Schools Outstanding Physical Activity Leader Award! 

After attending a PAL training, Dana engaged her school community to better address the physical education needs of the Lake Grove student body. Not only do scholars at Lake Grove learn about health, fitness, and sports in their daily physical education lessons, they are engaged in physical activity throughout the day and after school.

Thank you, Dana, for your creativity and commitment to student learning and ensuring all students are healthy, college- and career-ready by the time they graduate — Goal 5 of our Strategic Plan!

TAF Academy receives STEM Lighthouse grant

Congratulations to TAF Academy for being awarded a STEM Lighthouse grant of $20,000 from the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction!

The Board would like to recognize the following individuals for this achievement:

• Clarence Dancer, Jr., STEM Program Supervisor, from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
• Pam Tuggle, TAF Academy
• Trish Millines Dziko, Technology Access Foundation
• Chris Alejano, Technology Access Foundation

Washington STEM Lighthouse Schools provide technical assistance and advice to other schools and communities in the initial stages of creating a learning environment focused on STEM. They serve as resources and examples of how to combine the following best practices:

• Small, highly personalized learning communities;
• An interdisciplinary curriculum with a strong focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) delivered through a project-based instructional approach; and
• Active partnerships with businesses and the local community to connect learning beyond the classroom.

To date, 41 districts and/or schools have been awarded this grant

Thank you to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for this designation, and the grant money to support STEM education

Trise Moore, a "Leader to Learn From" 

The Board would like to recognize Director of Equity and Family Engagement, Trise Moore, for recently being featured in Education Week as a “Leader to Learn From.” Education Week‘s annual Leaders To Learn From recognizes 14 bold and committed district leaders who are working to enact—and inspire—change in our nation’s public schools.

For over a decade, Mrs. Moore has supported family engagement efforts at Federal Way Public Schools. The family engagement position was created by former superintendent Tom Murphy, who Mrs. Moore highlights as someone who reached out to her to provide ideas to make the system welcoming for all parents, especially for parents who may have never experienced success in a public school system themselves. 

As part of her family engagement role, Mrs. Moore developed a parent and teacher handbook to help parents navigate the educational system to support their child’s school experience. 

Congratulations, Trise Moore, on this award and for supporting pillar 2 in our Strategic Plan, Safe Climate and Strong Relationships with Families and Community.

Gators win big at state

Congratulations to the following Decatur High School scholars for placing during the boys state wrestling competition! Participation in extracurricular activities is in direct support of Strategic Plan Goal Three: Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers.

The Board would like to recognize the following athletes:  

• Quinzy Salu, 2^nd place, 285 weight class
• Jacob Cassaday, 3^rd place, 170 weight class 

We could not be more proud of you for this achievement.  Congratulations!

FWPS girls wrestling athletes place at state 

Congratulations to the following Federal Way Public Schools scholars for placing during the girls state wrestling competition! Participation in extracurricular activities is in direct support of Strategic Plan Goal Three: Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers.

The Board would like to recognize the following athletes: 

• Raisa Pleasant, Thomas Jefferson High School, 3^rd place, 105 weight class
• Jasmine Pleasant, Thomas Jefferson High School, 1^st place, 140 weight class
• Tally Thomas, Federal Way High School, 1^st place, 170 weight class
• Mariah Stewart, Federal Way High School, 2^nd place, 235 weight class

We  would also like to recognize the Federal Way High School girls wrestling team who took 2^nd place overall in state! In addition, the team was Sub Regional Champions three times in a row, and Regional Champions two times in row. 

• Amanda Henderson
• Anabella Garcia
• Anjilia Sumandig Tally Thomas
• Talaitupu Lologo
• Mariah Stewart
• Marlin Gonzalez -  We also want to acknowledge that Marlin was selected as the Academic State Champion.

This team is also accomplished in the classroom with an overall Team GPA of 3.44.

We could not be more proud of all our wrestling scholars. Congratulations!

Raiders win WIAA Winter Academic State Championship 

At Federal Way Public Schools, our belief is every scholar athlete participating in the athletic program will be empowered with ownership of his or her education.

The Thomas Jefferson High School 4A boys varsity swim team won the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Winter Academic State Championship with a team 3.679 GPA!

There are 64 4A schools in the state of Washington and this is a very special award! This awards program recognizes the team with the highest grade point average among all Washington high schools in their respective enrollment classification.

The Board would like to recognize the following students: 

• Owen Anderson
• Orgil Batzaya
• Marcus Condotta
• Thomas Dinh
• Caleb Kim
• Nicholas Kim
• Chae Hee Lee
• Zachary Nesbitt
• Aaron Nguyen
• Michael Nguyen
• Andrew Tang
• Brandon Truong
• Mihai Tuluca

This recognition is in direct support of Strategic Plan Goal 4: Content-Area Competence with the focus on each scholar meeting or exceeding standards of performance.

Scholars, we are so proud of your persistence and dedication to academic success!

FWPS scholar wins Regional High School Art Show

The Puget Sound Educational Service District has selected Federal Way Public Schools student, Jazmine Pope, as a Regional High School Art Show winner for her piece, “Toadstool.”

This Puget Sound Educational Service District recognition means Jazmine’s art piece will advance to the 44^th Annual State High School Art Show in Olympia.

This is in support of Strategic Plan Goal Four: Content Area Competence: Mastery of All Subjects.

Congratulations, Jazmine!

Kiwanis and FWPS partner to Bridge a Gap 

The board would like to take a moment to recognize and thank the Kiwanis Club of Federal Way for its continued partnership over the years. Kiwanis Club has run the concessions stand at Memorial Field since 1971, donating 50 percent of its proceeds to our district.

Specifically the board would like to thank Ed Plumlee, current president of Kiwanis Club of Federal Way; Dennis Hulse, past president of Kiwanis Club of Federal Way, and all other Kiwanis members for presenting a check of $21,488 to the district, that goes towards support of school activities.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. We appreciate your steadfast service within our community, and all you do to support our student-scholars.

Additionally, as part of this partnership, Federal Way Public Schools commits to donating 25 percent of the amount received from the Kiwanis Club of Federal Way to the Bridging A Gap Program. The Board would like to present Valerie Danforth, of the "BAG" program a check of $5,372, on behalf of the district.

The BAG Program was established in 2014 to provide food for students in Federal Way Public Schools who might not otherwise have a reliable source of nutrition over the weekends, and during school breaks. Each week, a team of volunteers meets and stuffs backpacks with nutritious, easy to prepare foods. The filled backpacks are then dropped off at the school each Friday, or the day before the school break, and are distributed to the students by school staff. On Mondays, the students return their empty packs to the school and volunteers pick them up so that we are able to re-fill them the following week.

Thank you to our community partners for all you do to support our scholars!

Raiders Girls Bowling place third in state 

Congratulations to the Thomas Jefferson High School girls bowling team for placing third in the WIAA state tournament! Participation in extracurricular activities is in direct support of strategic plan Goal Three: Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers.

The Board would like to recognize the following team members and coaches:

• Whitney Lee                    
• Ku’u Esquerra 
• Abbie Harris                    
• Kaitlyn Larimore             
• Cassie Lee                        
• Madison McCord                             
• Haylee Pollard
• Coach Joseph Townsend
• Assistant Coach Marty Lee

This season, the Raiders were undefeated, having won the 4A North Puget Sound League and the 4A West Central District title for the first time.

In addition to winning the team state tournament, Whitney Lee took third place in the WIAA State Individual bowling contest. Coach Joseph Townsend was named the North Puget Sound League Coach of the Year.

We could not be more proud of you for this achievement.  Congratulations!

Gators Cheer takes second in state 

The Board is FWPS proud of the Decatur High School cheer team who has placed second in the state in the 3A/4A division! Participation in extracurricular activities is in direct support of strategic plan Goal Three: Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers.

The Board would like to recognize the following team members

• Brookelyn Andrews 
• Perla Avelino 
• Ty Goode 
• Niayeve James-Ortiz 
• Tayzaj Murray 
• Courtney Pitre
• Jordan Reddicks
• Paulette Rogers  
• Kiora Surratt 
• Mikayla Thomas  
• Kacey Vongsaveng 
• Michela Walker  
• Kayla Watkins  
• Trinity Zapareski
• Coach Angelica Watkins

In order to win the team performed a 2 minute 30 second routine that incorporated group stunts, pyramids, jumps and a cheer section.

Congratulations Decatur cheer team! We are so proud of how hard you worked, and how much you accomplished.

Decatur Gator selected as 4A Female WIAA Athlete of the Week 

Each week throughout the school year, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association recognizes varsity athletes, who are in good academic standing, and exhibit an outstanding performance for the previous week (based off of nominations).

Tonight, the Board would like to recognize Decatur High School scholar-athlete Makayla Lambert who was selected as a 4A female Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Athlete of the Week!

Makayla Lambert had an outstanding game against Tyee, scoring 15 points and pulling down 11 rebounds leading the Gators. Participation in extracurricular activities is in direct support of strategic plan Goal Three: Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers.

Only one nominee per gender is chosen statewide in the 4A classification (60+schools) which provides a perspective on how HUGE this recognition is for Makayla!

Congratulations, we are so proud of you!

FWPS Scholars make 2017 All-State Band, Choir, and Orchestra 

On February 18, a number of FWPS fifth through eighth grade students participated in the Washington State Music Educators Association Honor Ensembles at the National Association for Music Education's All-Northwest Regional Conference.

These scholars auditioned and were selected to rehearse and perform with the other top student musicians under the direction of accomplished directors in their respective areas of music education. 

The Board would like to recognize: 

• Taylor Harmer, Alto
• Emily DeBoer, Alto
• Myla Warden, Alto
• Sam Flores, Baritone
• June Hee Lee, Violin
• Caleb Choi, Bb Clarinet 
• Luqman Shibly, Euphonium 
• Cassidy Stanhope, Tuba 
• Isaac Yi, Viola 
• Ally Phan, Alto

These scholars are 2017 All-State Band, Choir and Orchestra participants. 

This accomplishment is in direct support of strategic plan Goal 4: Content Area Competence.  

We are so proud of you for going after your dreams!   

 Sherwood Forest receives "Apples for Education" 

Congratulations, scholars and staff at Sherwood Forest Elementary for receiving $4,500 from the U.S. Apples Association for its participation in “Apples for Education: Buy an Apple, Help a Student” program.

The Board would like to recognize Principal Alisa DeSart and P.E. Specialist, Ryan Westhoff for their local leadership at Sherwood Forest that made this possible.

The school community has worked hard this school year to encourage Sherwood Forest scholars to choose an apple when searching for a snack. Boxes of apples have been available in the school office every Friday thanks to previous grants and community donations.

The newly awarded funds will allow Mr. Westhoff to purchase more apples and expand the program, so apples will now be available each week on Monday and Wednesday in addition to Friday.

Congratulations Sherwood Forest Elementary for your commitment to  encouraging our scholars’ healthy eating habits which has an impact on our scholars in the classroom and at school and is in support of the district’s strategic plan Goal Two, Whole Child: Thriving, Confident, Responsible Individuals.

Governor Inslee gives FWPS a Gold Star

Federal Way Public Schools is pleased to report that 955 — or 99 percent — of last year’s eligible eighth graders, signed up for the College Bound Scholarship program by the June 30^th deadline. This is in direct support of Goal Five: Persistence to Graduation of our Strategic Plan. Statewide, over 30,000 — 71 percent — of eligible students signed up for the program.

Governor Inslee has recognized Federal Way Public Schools as one of the top school districts to exceed the statewide average sign-up rate of 71 percent. To commemorate this acknowledgment, the governor has presented Federal Way Public Schools with the Gold Star Award.

The Board would like to thank our middle school principals for their effort. The Board would also like to acknowledge the work of three of our district leaders Deputy Superintendent Dr. Dani Pfeiffer, David Stone, and Vince Blauser.

The College Bound Scholarship helps Washington’s income eligible students reach higher levels of educational attainment. In combination with other state aid, it covers tuition at public college rates. Eligible students sign up in middle school by June 30 of their eighth grade year to receive an early commitment of state funding.

Open Door Scholars graduate 

The Board would like to recognize three graduates from Federal Way Open Doors. Persistence to Graduation is Goal Five of our Strategic Plan, and these graduates demonstrated this in spades.

The Board would like to recognize the following scholars:

Billy Marok started at Federal Way Acceleration Academy, now Federal Way Open Doors, in the summer of 2016.  He came in needing to finish two U.S. history classes. Bill completed these classes while also having a full time job. Before attending Federal Way Open Doors, Billy attended Decatur and Federal Way High School, and Mariner High School. For his next steps, Billy is considering a career in firefighting with the help of a mentor. He is also considering enrolling in community college with the help of Seattle Education Access. We wish Billy the best of luck in the future, and feel confident in his future success. 

Joey Flood has been at Open Doors for almost two years. He was one of our very first students! He came to us needing seven credits — that's 14 classes — to graduate. Once he figured out the online platform and how to discipline himself with online learning, he successfully worked through to the end, and is now a high school graduate! Next steps for Joey are getting his driver's license and finding work. He wants to be out there for a while before he decides what to do next. We are very fond and proud of Joey and his accomplishments! 

Jeremiah Mored enrolled with Open Doors in January 2017 to finish his High School and Beyond Plan, two English classes, two PE classes and one health class. Jerry was extremely diligent, and finished all his credits in two months. Before Jerry was enrolled in Federal Way Open Doors, he was doing the running start program at Federal Way High School and Highline Community College. Jerry plans to move to California and enroll in college. From there he wants study nursing or architecture. Jerry has big goals for his future and is always looking at other options. Jerry was a student that was dedicated with his time here, and was open to talking with other students and staff. Federal Way Open Doors wishes Jerry the best in the future and feels confident in his future success!

Congratulations scholars, we are proud of you!